Galatians 5:16-17 NIV
"So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want."
Problem solved. We are to walk by the Spirit not by the flesh. Let me back up here. Yesterday we were given several sins to avoid in our Christian walk. We found out that even we can be susceptible to sin as Christians. So Paul tells us here - walk by the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit works in our life to ramp up our knowledge of good and evil. He magnifies our conscience so we hear the warnings of the approach of sin. If we listen, then we are able to act and avoid the sin. The war comes when our desires (our flesh) try to trump the voice of the Spirit.
God's mercy is not a free pass to sin. The conflict between the Spirit and our flesh is a work that goes on throughout our life. This conflict is the work of the Spirit to help us conform to God's will for us but (there is almost always a but) sin in our life works to the contrary of what the Spirit is doing. Growing and maturing as a Christian takes work.
God wants us to enjoy life and experience pleasure but not at the expense of our salvation. We live in the flesh and are guided by the Spirit. The two can coexist as long as we know that He is going to pull the leash from time to time to help us keep from plunging back into sin. Those who do not listen and refuse to grow are the ones who tumble back into sin.
Walk by the Spirit and do not live for the flesh (don't live just for the sake of pleasure). Those who live by the flesh will always be disappointed and never have enough and never experience true contentment.
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